Ore. girl mysteriously burned at the hospital - was it hand sanitizer?

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»Play VideoHand sanitizer is always on hand at hospitals, but was it to blame for a fire that injured a child? That's what investigators are looking into. KATU photo.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Doernbecher Children's Hospital held a late-night news conference on Monday following news reports about a young girl who caught fire when she was there for treatment recently.

The incident in question happened earlier this month and involved an 11-year-old girl, who ran out of her room on fire. According to Doernbecher, staff quickly put out the flames but doctors don't know how the fire started in the first place.

The girl's father was in the room at the time, but was asleep. The girl, Ireland Lane, had been painting in her room before the fire erupted but there's talk that hand sanitizer may have been involved.

"I've been in medicine going back 30 years now and never heard anything like this. And hopefully I never will again," said Dr. Stacy Nicholson, Assistant Chief at Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

The girl is a cancer survivor and was in the hospital for an unrelated head injury. She is now in serious condition at Legacy Emanuel.

Doctors say they are waiting for the fire marshal to finish the investigation.